This invention relates to a downhill ski binding, adapter for allowing a downhill ski boot to be secured to a downhill ski with a downhill ski binding, yet, pivot near the toe and function like a nordic ski, and more particularly to a downhill ski binding adapter having increased performance through improved structural integrity, adjustability to avoid interference problems while in use with various downhill ski bindings, and a size adjustment ability with a sufficient range to accommodate all standard ski boot sizes.
A downhill ski binding adapter allows a downhill ski boot with a downhill ski and a downhill ski binding, to pivot near the toe, upon an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the ski, as in nordic skiing; it contains: a stationary mounting portion that is secured in the downhill ski binding as if it were a ski boot itself; a platform pivotally attached to the stationary mounting, to which the downhill ski boot is in turn attached. With a downhill ski binding adapter, the conversion to and from a nordic type pivoting mode requires only that the downhill ski binding adapter be added to or removed from the interface between the ski binding and the downhill ski boot.
As an illustration of a ski binding adapter, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 290,490 to Napflin depicts a ski binding adapter for converting a downhill ski binding to a pivoting nordic type ski binding. The portion of the Napflin device, retained by the downhill ski binding, is adjustable in length through a formed heel piece that slides on a single cylindrical tube and held by a frictional clamp surrounding the cylindrical tube. In the Napflin device, since a single tube is used, length adjustment is limited to less than the length of the heel piece, requiring that the device be made in more than one size to accommodate all standard ski binding spacings. Additionally, no means are provided to assure that the frictional clamp will not slip or rotate while the device is in operation. The pivoting platform portion of the Napflin device, to which the downhill ski boot is secured, contains a toe securing clip and a heel securing latch. The position of the heel securing latch is adjustable to accommodate different sizes of ski boots. No provision is made, in the Napflin device, for altering the position of the toe of the ski boot, to avoid interference between the ski boot and the toe of the downhill ski binding; nor is provision made, for altering the overall length of the pivoting platform to avoid interference between the pivoting platform and the heel piece of the downhill ski binding.